KUALA LUMPUR – National middle distance ace Wan Muhammad Fazri Wan Zahari is aiming for his second consecutive 800m gold medal at the 2024 Asean University Games (AUG), which will take place in Surabaya and Malang, Indonesia, from June 25 to July 6.
The 23-year-old athlete’s confidence stemmed from his previous 800m gold medal win at the 2022 edition in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand.
“I won the 800m gold medal at the 2022 AUG in Thailand, and my main goal is to defend the title and contribute a gold medal to the country. “If possible, I would like to break the national record in the event,” he said.
In Ubon Ratchathani, Wan Muhammad clocked 1 minute 54.82 seconds to beat his closest rivals from Indonesia and Thailand, who went home with the silver and bronze medals, respectively.
Athletics was the highlight of the Malaysian contingent at the 2022 AUG, winning 11 gold medals and surpassing the Higher Education Ministry’s seven-gold target.
“To achieve my goal of winning the gold medal at the 2024 AUG, I will compete in two competitions: the Super Series Athletics in Johor from April 19 to 21 and the Malaysia Open from June 14 to 16,” he said, adding that he hopes to set a new national record and improve on his personal best time of 1:50.94s.
In the 2022 AUG, the Malaysian contingent emerged as the second-best team overall by winning 49 gold, 83 silver and 50 bronze medals. – March 13, 2024